BACOLOD City – The city government and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the establishment of a Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) Plus Center in the city.
The ceremonial signing was held on August 12 at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) lobby, led by Mayor Greg Gasataya for the local government and CLMMRH Medical Center Chief Dr. Joan Cerrada. Witnessing the event were Cong. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral, and Department of Health (DOH)–Negros Island Region director Dr. Razel Nikka Hao.
The project, initiated by Benitez, aims to enhance the delivery of urgent and ambulatory health services to Bacolod residents.
Gasataya said the city has allocated P50 million from its P4.1-billion loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines in 2023 to fund the construction of the two-storey facility. The BUCAS Plus Center will rise on a 3,243-square-meter city-owned property along San Sebastian Street, Barangay 14.
Under the MOA, the DOH will provide manpower, equipment, and medical supplies, while the city grants CLMMRH the right to use, manage, and operate the property free of charge for a period of five years, renewable for another five years upon mutual agreement.
The center will serve as an extension of CLMMRH’s urgent care and ambulatory services, with provisions for related health facilities. Ownership of the property will remain with the city government.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to making quality health services more accessible to the people of Bacolod,” Gasataya said./PN
